Abia school debate competition: Our vision of raising better generation is not in vain -Vision Africa President
By: Imo Thomas -Umuahia.
The President of Vision Africa, a non- profit organization outreach based in Dallas USA and owners of Vision Africa radio, Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, a Methodist Bishop, has said that the vision of the organization to start Abia state school debating competition 14 years ago in collaboration with Abia state ministry of Education in not in vain as the competition is producing a better generational leaders.
Bishop Onuoha made this known on Monday at the 14th edition of Abia 2024/2025 school debate prize presentation day held at the premises of Vision Africa radio station Umuahia.
Bishop Onuoha, speaking at the prize presentation day which saw Methodist Girls High School, Umueze Umuahia defeating Valley View college Ohafia to emerge champions of 2024/2025 Abia School debate competition, thanked the state government for collaborating with Vision Africa to realize their vision of producing a better generational leaders that will take over from this generation.
“We want to see another generation that will take over from us. In the next 50 years, most of the students here today will be alive.
“What type of generation do we want to leave behind?, We must raise children who will be God fearing and have absolute trust in God in what they do”, Bishop Onuoha said.
In her own remarks, wife of Abia state Governor, Mrs Chidinma Otti, who was represented by Professor Ijeoma Iheukwuemere, SSA on Environment to the Governor of Abia state, while handing over the coveted cup to the winning school, said that she is impressed with the standard of the debate and said that debates is more than argument.
“It’s a training ground for future leaders. What I see is that your generation will do better than ours, “Abia’s first lady said.
She called on the participants to continue to aspire for a better tomorrow and co-strive for excellence in all they do.
She equally commended Vision Africa for always engaging Abia children in a free and fair context for the betterment of society.
In her goodwill message, the commissioner for women Affairs and social protection, Dr.Mureem Aghukwa, said that with the girls school emerging as this years champions, shows that the gender dichotomy as regards to intellectual exercise have been set aside, showing that the girl child if given opportunity can excel to any desired height in life.
Earlier in his welcome speech, the commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, who was represented by Mrs.Stella Kelechi, a director in the ministry, said that their partnership with Vision Africa is yielding the desired fruit.
He stated that what Vision Africa is doing is in line with the vision of the state Governor to raise children who will be achievers in any good thing they desire to achieve.
This year’s debate competition with the topic “Is social media impactful to teenagers” attracted who’s who in the Abia education business, with presentations of different dance and other cultural activities by the participating schools to mark the day.
The President of Vision Africa promised to pay the WAEC fees of three students each who participated in the competition of the four schools that reached the final stage of the competition.
